Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Muniphobia]

7 hours ago, uk_senator said:

I only noticed this recently, I give you the Avensis Verso.. Seems to be Toyota`s take on that inflated Golf Plus thing (where did they all go?).
Not something I was aware of, I don't think I`ve seen one before (although I may have done & not noticed). You`d think they`d have been popular with the mini-cabbing fraternity, but it seems not. There's less than 400 on the road, according to HML.

The Avensis Verso is a facelifted Toyota Picnic.

Where I used to work the CEO's personal assistant had a Picnic which was quite appropriate considering the source of all her IT problems...

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 17/02/2025 at 02:29, Lord Sterling said:

The Peugeot? Not so much...

 

It looks like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be, a van, an estate car or a tiny camper?

 

14 hours ago, lesapandre said:

See these Peugeot vans from time to time in France. They were not uncommon. At the time Peugeot did not offer a really small van - after the 305 van finished.

That three-door van known as Fourgonnette or Break Service in France was made to 1990 and was not replaced.

As only total of 86,413 of these Fourgonnettes were built - I guess that Peugeot did not bother with a replacement - the Citroen C15 for example sold over a million vans.

So there was a place in the market for these Peugeot van conversations for those who preferred a Peugeot.

I have had a couple of miniature 205 Vans.

6,000 of those 205 Multis were by Durisotti, a French coach builder that does all sorts of conversions for commercial use. There's a thread here on a web site that shows some of the stuff that they have done. 

Carrosserie Durisotti, Sallaumines - COACHBUILD.com

[MiniMinorMk3]

Here's the Renault 5 Durisotti, a kind of scaled down Matra Ranchero. They only built one.

[lesapandre]

I'll keep on the lookout for one - both vehicle and model and try and get some detailed photos.

[timolloyd]

11 hours ago, Muniphobia said:

Where I used to work the CEO's personal assistant had a Picnic which was quite appropriate considering the source of all her IT problems...

 

Wasps?

[IronStar]

There’s a Dursotti 205 Multi in Serbia, PSA specialist has it

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2en2mzqyv_/?igsh=MXhvbm90NXdzMWZmbA==
 

Plenty more photos on his Instagram 

[loserone]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Here's the Renault 5 Durisotti, a kind of scaled down Matra Ranchero. They only built one.

And there seems to be only one picture of it.  Shame!

[Tayne]

Saw a lot of this sort of thing in Ukraine a few years back, mostly based on the ZAZ Tavria.

 

 

[barrett]

Considering its so up my street, I don't think I've ever seen this before. Always a shock to the system when you see a totally unknown vehicle, particularly one linked to so many familiar names.

https://www.octane-magazine.com/news/chris-bristows-barn-find-mg-special-to-star-at-race-retro/

[bunglebus]

Just a targa topped Crapi with a silly grille right?

No, the JBA Javelin is a separate chassis, fibreglass bodied entity in its own right

https://robertgibson.tripod.com/javelin.htm

[artdjones]

On 15/02/2025 at 11:55, Metal Guru said:

A V8 Viva! WTF?

The GM slant 4 was very like a V8 with one cylinder bank removed, so there's plenty of room, but if a V8 Ventora is nose heavy a V8 Viva might be difficult to get around corners.

 

On 17/02/2025 at 21:41, Timewaster said:

I don't think they were much good as a people carrier.

The seats were bulky and didn't fold flat like a Zafira.

Picasso's were much cheaper to buy and run.

Scenics had a lot more style.

C-max drove like a Focus.

The verso just missed the mark.

A pub owner I know has had one since new, still totally immaculate. He uses it as a runaround, for cash and carry runs, etc.

[chaseracer]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

The GM slant 4 was very like a V8 with one cylinder bank removed...

The motor in the '61 Pontiac Tempest was exactly that: https://www.octane-magazine.com/articles/features/pontiac-tempest-back-to-a-different-future/#:~:text=The 1961 Pontiac Tempest was,rope drive' connecting the two.

 

[lesapandre]

On 19/02/2025 at 11:46, barrett said:

Considering its so up my street, I don't think I've ever seen this before. Always a shock to the system when you see a totally unknown vehicle, particularly one linked to so many familiar names.

https://www.octane-magazine.com/news/chris-bristows-barn-find-mg-special-to-star-at-race-retro/

Should it be restored or kept as is? 

Amazing as it is. 

So much work to restore it - would be just as much work to make a copy and race that.

Just an IMHO.

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, chaseracer said:

The motor in the '61 Pontiac Tempest was exactly that: https://www.octane-magazine.com/articles/features/pontiac-tempest-back-to-a-different-future/#:~:text=The 1961 Pontiac Tempest was,rope drive' connecting the two.

 

Wacky! I think I'd prefer it with the Buick V8 option, though. Before DeLorean went off the reservation, he was very competent at product development.